Advanced Cloud Security Documentation
Index

Approval Rules

Approval Rules define who can approve changes to compliance-tracked fields. This guide explains how to configure approval rules.

Accessing Approval Rules

  1. Open Advanced Cloud Security from the Tell Me search
  2. Click Compliance Approval Rules in the Configure Compliance column
  3. The Approval Rules page opens

Understanding Approval Rules

Approval Rules link compliance-tracked field changes to the users or groups who can approve those changes. Each rule specifies:

  • Who can approve (a specific user or a group)
  • How changes are handled (direct or stored for approval)

Creating an Approval Rule

Rule Fields

Each approval rule has the following fields:

Field Description
Rule ID Unique code identifier for the rule (up to 20 characters)
Description Text description of what the rule covers
Approval User The specific user who can approve (lookup to Compliance Users)
Approval Group The group that can approve (lookup to Compliance Approver Groups)
Field Change Method How field changes are processed: Direct or Store For Approval

Setting Up a Rule

  1. Click New to create a rule
  2. Enter a Rule ID and Description
  3. Set either an Approval User or an Approval Group (setting one clears the other)
  4. Choose the Field Change Method

Field Change Methods

Method Behavior
Direct Changes are applied immediately (the approval step is a record/notification only)
Store For Approval Changes are stored and require approval before being applied

Approval User vs. Approval Group

You can assign approvals to either a specific user or a group, but not both on the same rule:

  • Approval User: A named user from the Compliance Users list who can approve
  • Approval Group: Any member of the specified Approver Group can approve

Setting an Approval User clears the Approval Group, and vice versa.

Approval Rule Examples

Example 1: Credit Limit Approval

Rule ID: CUST-CREDIT
Description: Credit limit changes require CFO approval
Approval User: CFO-USER
Field Change Method: Store For Approval

Example 2: Vendor Banking Approval

Rule ID: VEND-BANK
Description: Vendor bank detail changes
Approval Group: FINANCE-MANAGERS
Field Change Method: Store For Approval

Example 3: Direct Tracking

Rule ID: ITEM-COST
Description: Item cost changes (tracked, not blocked)
Approval User: COST-MANAGER
Field Change Method: Direct

Managing Approval Rules

Editing Rules

Select a rule and modify any of the fields directly in the list.

Deleting Rules

Select a rule and press Delete to remove it. Ensure the rule is no longer needed before deleting.

Best Practices

Keep Rules Simple

  • One purpose per rule
  • Use clear Rule IDs (e.g., CUST-CREDIT, VEND-BANK)
  • Document the rule's purpose in the Description field

Use Groups

  • Prefer Approval Groups over individual users when multiple people can approve
  • Groups handle absences and role changes more flexibly
  • See Approver Groups for setup

Test Before Deploying

  • Test in a sandbox environment first
  • Make a tracked field change and verify the correct approval behavior
  • Confirm the right user or group receives the approval request

Regular Review

  • Review rules periodically
  • Remove obsolete rules
  • Update approvers as roles change

Troubleshooting

Wrong Approver Notified

  1. Check which rule is configured for the table/field
  2. Verify the Approval User or Approval Group is correct

No Approval Requested

  1. Verify the compliance table is set up correctly (see Compliance Setup)
  2. Verify the field is tracked for compliance
  3. Check that a matching approval rule exists

Changes Applied Without Approval

  1. Check that the Field Change Method is set to Store For Approval, not Direct
  2. Verify the rule is properly linked to the compliance configuration